October 18, 2010
School of Music plans free ‘OcTubaFest’ event
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Germany has Oktoberfest, Southern Illinois University Carbondale has OcTubaFest. Tuba music, of course, is the common denominator.
OcTubaFest, a free event, comes to SIUC beginning at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 24, at the Old Baptist Foundation Recital Hall.
Chris Combest, lecturer in tuba and euphonium in the School of Music and coordinator of this event, explained that OcTubaFest is a tradition for many schools of music across the nation.
“The obvious connection is with Oktoberfest, which is a German creation, and the fact that the tuba is associated with Oktoberfest music,” he said.
This event will feature some of the polka music so evocative of Oktoberfest traditions, but that’s not all. The concert features tuba-euphonium quartets performing marches, swing, and other styles, with a finale featuring the entire tuba and euphonium studio performing John Stevens’ “Manhattan Suite.”
“If people aren’t familiar with tuba-euphonium groups in general, they will find that the instruments are very capable of many different characterizations beside the jovial nature that comes to mind for many people when they think of tubas.”